1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of processing an image wherein a photographic image is subjected to a desired image conversion process.
2. Related Background Art
An image conversion process for image information signals will be described hereinbelow in connection with a so-called optical xe2x80x9ccross screen filterxe2x80x9d effect. With the xe2x80x9ccross screen filterxe2x80x9d effect, bright beams can be generated radially from a high luminance portion of an image.
Conventionally, an optical filter has been used as means for yielding such effect.
Optical filters commonly used in obtaining special effect photographs are those shown in Table 1.
As seen from Table 1, the snow cross and the sunny cross have a similar effect although they have a different number of radial bright beams, six and eight, respectively. The surface patterns of the cross screen, snow screen and sunny cross are shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. These patterns each have fine grooves engraved on the surface thereof. The grooves in a magnified scale are shown in FIG. 5 and the diffraction pattern is shown in FIG. 6. Bright beams emanate in the direction perpendicular to the groove, with the beam luminance being maximum at the center from which the beam starts and gradually lowering its luminance toward the periphery.
The xe2x80x9ccross screen filterxe2x80x9d effect can electrically be realized based on simulation of change in beam luminance. Particularly, a spatial filter matrix as shown in FIG. 7 is considered on an image screen plane constructed of 512xc3x97512 pixels, for example. A pixel having a high luminance is disposed at the center of the matrix. The matrix is then added with luminance data to obtain the luminance change in conformity with the function of FIG. 6. Thus, it is possible to electrically add the cross screen filter effect to a still image after it is photographed.
With the above method, it is possible to have the effect equivalent to that of various optical filters through an electrical process. However, the above method is associated with the following problems.
(1) Generally, the photographer and the operator performing the special effect processing are not the same person.
(2) The intent of the photographer is not reflected at the time (or in the procedure) of the special effect processing.
In view of the above problems, photographing conditions at the time of photographing and conversion process conditions assigned at the time of photographing are used as parameters for performing the conversion (special effect) process of the present invention, so that the intent of a photographer can be reflected in the special effect processing.
The other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description.